The effect of Perceived Crowding on women's participation in sports activities with the mediating role of perceived risk

Introduction: The participation of women as an important part of the human capital of any society in the field of sports can help the development of countries. Wherever the environment is prepared for women's social activities, their abilities will be more evident and their effects in the society will be more obvious (Scheadler & Wagstaff, 2018). Today, women's sports are changing as a result of the increasing growth of human knowledge. Accordingly, the necessary space for the birth and growth of the scientific culture of sports should be provided in the living environment of women, so that sports become an integral part of their lives (Rasekh, 2021). One of the most common social, psychological and physical effects is the perception of crowding of participants in sports activities, which is defined as a mental evaluation of the level of crowding in a certain area (Sanobar, Ghasemi & Haghverdizadeh, 2019). Perceived risk has also been raised as a threat and a constant predictor of such behaviors (Petrie, Faasse & Thomas, 2016). Crowding and perceived risk is an important issue for sports management and implementing strategies to reduce social conflicts. Therefore, according to the importance of the subject, in this regard, the main question of the current research is what is the effect of crowding on the participation of women in leisure sports activities with the mediating role of perceived risk?